


Let It Be

by assassin_inthe_scoutregiment



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 04:34:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11913309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/assassin_inthe_scoutregiment/pseuds/assassin_inthe_scoutregiment
Summary: Imagine- Spending Chuck Hansen's last night before Pitfall with him, then dealing with the aftermath of Pitfall.





	Let It Be

You'd been waiting for what seemed like forever outside the doors of the medical bay. Stacker Pentecost by your side, eagerly awaiting information on how his two, remaining jaeger teams were doing. He'd heard someone say Hercules had been injured badly, and that Chuck was passed out, but rumors traveled fast in the Shatterdome, and neither one of you were believing what you'd heard. Mako Mori and Raleigh Becket had been declared medically sound, but were undergoing the normal radiation testing, and the small battery of blood tests completed after each mission. No word had been sent on Herc or Chuck, but you could hear Chuck's familiar drawl growling at someone on the other side of the doors. Of course he was grumbling at a nurse after the horror that mission had been. A double-event, the first ever, and all he wanted was to see you.

Before the kaiju had attacked today, Chuck had been acting a little off. He was constantly by your side, watching your every move in the lab. He was constantly asking when you'd be done for the day, something you couldn't even answer until you got close to ending for the day. Working in the kaiju science department was unpredictable, to say the least. Then the kaiju came from the breach, screwing up your plans to make spaghetti for you and him in your room later. It was sounding damn good, and it was your turn to make dinner.

After what seemed like forever, the double doors opened, and a doctor came out to speak with the Marshall. You rushed in the room behind them.

The med bay was fairly empty, save a pair of red heads arguing with a team of nurses and one very annoyed looking doctor.

He's alive. They're both alive. You couldn't help but think while sprinting across the room to meet your favorite men. You waited until the medical team dispersed then joined them.

"What's the damage this time?" Chuck was up walking, so he wasn't seriously injured, but Hercules was sedated and sleeping.

"Dad's out. Broken shoulder and collarbone." He mumbled with annoyance dripping from his voice. "He shouldn't have gotten out of the harness. I told him not to, but he did it anyway. Damn idiot."

Chuck relaxed in a chair after pacing the length of Herc's bed for a few minutes. His normally bright green eyes were dulled. As long as you'd known him he'd never let a fight get to him. Despite the horrors he'd seen, despite the pain, both physical and mental, he had never had his look of utter defeat etched across his features. You took a seat on the edge of Hercules' bed.

"At least it's not you banged up this time. Him I can handle to see laying here." Chuck's lips turned upwards for a split second before he reached for your hand. "I still don't like seeing him here either. At least he's still alive, and you're no worse for wear."

"I s'pose that's a better view than I've got." All he could muster was a mumble. "We can't make the bomb run now. We can't stop the kaiju. River, I feel like my purpose here is gone." Chuck squeezed your hand. "But I've still got you, so I'll be alright." He glanced down at his dad then back to you before giving you a quick kiss.

Chuck had this issue with public displays of affection around his dad. Where they drifted, Hercules saw everything you two had done. On the flip side of this, Chuck saw everything Herc had done with women, including his mother. He could handle his dad knowing, but drew a line at letting him see so much as a kiss. It was a silent agreement the pair had. While they saw things through each other, they didn't want to see it through their own eyes. The only time this agreement wavered was immediately before and after a mission. You weren't about to let Chuck chance death without one last kiss. Hercules actually found your stubbornness in that scenario endearing. "At least I know he'll come back to someone who'll take care of him." Herc had told you once.

"Your purpose isn't gone, just delayed. Gottlieb is predicting the next occurrence to happen by tomorrow afternoon. You won't be running then, but Mako and Raleigh can handle it. If they can stay alive for a couple weeks, just long enough for your dad to heal enough for combat, you'll be back out there, and I'll be worried sick everytime you make a run." This got a chuckle out of him.

"Don't worry yourself too much; we'll be alright." He gave you a small smile, then pulled his phone from his pocket to check whatever notification had popped up. "He's gonna be out for a while." Chuck said, motioning to his dad drooling on the white pillow beneath his head. He stood up. "Let's go to our room. I've got something for you." He helped you stand up from the bed.

\-----

Walking into the room you expected the normal sight; clothes scattered across every available surface because both you were terrible at remembering to do laundry on the weekends and tended to just wash what you needed, as you needed it. You figured Max would be laying on his pillow at the foot of your bed chewing away on the bone you'd given him when Chuck and Herc had been called out a few hours ago. The poor Bulldog would start chewing on your shoes if he heard the commotion around him. You had learned long ago to give him something else, lest your Converse be his newest toy. You'd been looking forward to the normal stack of books sitting beside a half-finished blanket you'd been crocheting for a few weeks, but was greeted with something very different.

The room was dark, except candles littering each shelf, dresser top, table, and even three perched atop the small television that was rarely used. Vanilla and lavender invaded your senses, luring you further in, eyes wide open and mouth gaping in amazement. Did Chuck do all this? When did he get a chance to? He closed the door behind you softly, so as not to disturb the flower petals scattered across the floor.

"I know you don't like roses, so I found a place that sold hydrangeas, because they're your favorite. Do you like them?" You turned around to face this man who never ceased to amaze you. His green eyes were shining emerald now; his cheeks nearly as red as his hair. He was rocking back and forth from heel to heel, nervous about something, but you didn't know what. In his hand was a stem of royal blue hydrangeas.

"You did this?" You questioned in complete disbelief. "Chuck, this is beautiful." The bruise healing around his right eye reflected in the candlelight, throwing a shadow across his face. You couldn't see him blinking quickly like he always did when anxiousness got the better of him.

"Technically, it was Allison Choi. I told her what I wanted, and asked her to have it ready this evening. I wasn't exactly planning a kaiju attack in the middle of it, but Otatchi and Leatherback did make a nice diversion to keep you out of here." A small laugh fell off your lips. Of course he would consider nearly getting killed as a 'nice diversion'. "But, other than that, it was all me. I drew out exactly where I wanted everything to be, gave her a list of things, and kept you out of here for the day."

You took three small steps towards him.

"It's perfect." You mumbled, stepping up on tip-toe to give him a kiss. Chuck automatically responded by holding your neck in his free hand and wrapping his other arm tight around your back. A few moments later, the kiss had ended, but the atmosphere of the room was entirely different. He wasn't smiling and awkwardly rocking back and forth now.

"These are for you." He handed you the hydrangea stem he'd been holding. Out of habit you took a deep smell, loving the scent surrounding you, when you felt something slide down the stem; stopping against your fingers entwined with the flower.

It was a ring. Simple, yet elegant; a silver band with a single diamond set in the center. Two smaller jewels set to either side of the center, emphasizing the main gem. Chuck took the flower stem from your hand, set it aside, then took the ring while he leaned down on one knee.

"River, I love you, more than anything. Tonight really made me realize how quickly things can go wrong around here, and I can't stand putting this off any longer. I wanted to wait until after we closed the breach, until after all of this chaos is over. Dad and I both could have died tonight. I would have died, and never have let you know how much I truly love you. So, no matter what happens tonight, or tomorrow, or twenty years from now, I never want you to forget what you mean to me. So, I'm asking you to marry me. River Elise Bowman, would you marry me?" A flash of terror passed over his face. You were beyond awestruck. This was the last thing you'd expected. After being together for nearly five years, you'd assumed he'd never ask.

"Is that even a question, Charles Hercules Hansen?" Came your answer through happy tears. Chuck stood up quickly, slid the ring on your finger, then started kissing every piece of skin he could from your lips, to your neck, to the tips of your ears. You stumbled backwards under his weight, falling softly on the rough blankets issued by the Defense Corp.

Kisses quickly turned to desperately wanting one another more than anything else in the world. Wanting became need. Two and a half hours later, you were laying comfortably beside Chuck with the word fiance bouncing around your head erratically. River Elise Hansen, you mumbled to yourself happily testing out the way your name sounded with his last name. To you, it sounded perfect. It rolled off your tongue easily.

Chuck was snoring quietly. You laid curled up against his left side with your head on his chest listening to the constant thumping of his heart. Thump, thump, he'd lived through today's mission, despite the fact that Striker Eureka had completely shut off. Thump, thump, he came out almost unharmed, save a few scratches, and a small burn on his right hand from shooting a flare gun at a kaiju. Thump, thump, he was here, and alive, and that's what mattered more than you concentrating on what could have happened, but didn't. You quietly thanked whatever powers that controlled the universe for giving him to you for one more night. Any fight could be his last, and today had scared you into really acknowledging this little facet of his job. He technically only had to complete one last mission to close the breach, and you could keep him safe and happy wherever the two of you would wind up. Thump, thump, he stirred in his sleep, waking when he heard you sneeze.

"Get some sleep, darlin'. We can start planning the wedding tomorrow morning." He promised with a sleepy smile. You kissed his smile, cuddled up closer, and allowed the steady thrumming of his heart lull you to sleep.

\----- Twelve Hours Later -----

"We can pave a path for the Lady." The Marshall's words weren't meant to be harsh, but yet you would have fought him for suggesting suicide had he been in the room. As it were, he was piloting alongside your fiancé while Hercules was out of commission.

The control room went silent. Even breathing had hushed for everyone. Gypsy was hurt bad; missing control of one leg, and one arm completely gone. Her only defence left was the nuclear reactor powering her. Striker wasn't doing much better. They were out of ammunition and down to a chain sword which was fairly useless in the Pacific Ocean where the pilots couldn't see a single thing outside of their connpods. Taking on the breach had been a mistake to begin with. Taking it on with only two Jaeger teams was even worse.

Hercules paled. That was his son piloting Striker Eureka alongside Stacker Pentecost. His son, but also the love of your life, and the reason you were fighting one hell of a panic attack at the Marshall's words.

"There has to be something else, Herc." You were sitting beside him, the same shade of porcelain covering your face. "Is there anything else?" You were begging. Tears streaked down your face. They weren't necessarily from fear alone, but anger and frustration.

"There's not. Either Gypsy blows, and we hope for the best, or Striker detonates the bomb to kill Slattern, gives Gypsy a straight shot to the breach, and finally closes the breach. It's the best route." His words came through extremely gritted teeth. "Do it." He spoke barely louder than a whisper. "Striker, do what you have to do." He commanded through the bitter silence.

The tears of frustration had just changed to tears of desperation. You couldn't lose him. Not now. Not after last night. Not after everything you'd seen and done with him over the years.

"Hey, are you Chuck Hansen? Marshall Pentecost sent me to take a few air and water samples from your room. There's been a gas leak somewhere on this floor, and we're trying to isolate where it is." You were only sixteen. You'd graduated high school at fourteen, and college at sixteen with an associates degree in environmental engineering. The defence corp needed environmental engineers, so you'd enlisted for the Sydney Shatterdome, and moved there from your home back in Ohio.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." He was also sixteen, and an asshole. "Just don't mess with any of my stuff." You went along with your testing, and found the leak in his dad's room.

"What are we going to do, sir?"

This was your first date with him, Chuck Hansen. You didn't know what to expect. He'd said to wear clothes you didn't mind getting dirty, and to wear good walking shoes. You were anxiously waiting inside your room for him to come knocking on the door. Being nervous didn't make sense; you'd been friends for a year now. You were comfortable with him. This was somehow different.

He came knocking exactly on time. You were in an old pair of skinny jeans, black vans, a black shirt, and a thin, green scarf, all clothes you didn't mind getting dirty, and all clothes that were comfortable. Chuck was wearing his normal jeans and boots, but with a hunter green shirt with Pan-Pacific Defense Corp printed across the front in large font.

"What are we doing? You said you'd tell me when you got here!" He chuckled under his breath.

"There's this place down in Sydney called Pottery Place, where you can paint your own mugs, or jewelry boxes, or whatever. Dad suggested it. He thought you'd like it." The smile on your face answered his questioning gaze. "C'mon, River, let's go."

He'd made a coffee mug that night. It was green and black, and had some swirly designs bordering the upper rim. You'd made a mug as well, this one red with 'Let It Be' painted along the mug's handle. You'd both drank from them not even twenty-four hours ago. He had coffee, while you drank a cup of Lady Grey tea.

"We can pave a path for the lady." Pentecost stated again.

You desperately wished you could see Chuck right now. All you wanted was to see his eyes squinting with determination one last time. The long distance signals right now wouldn't allow it. You barely had voice communication.

He'd said 'I love you'. You were stunned. You had only been dating for a month, but the connection was something you couldn't even try to describe. It was fire and ice, night and day, fireworks blasting off in the sky, and those three words made every single thing make perfect sense. Love is a many, splendid thing. Love lift us up where we belong. All you need is love. Love was exactly what your relationship was. Without hesitating, you said you loved him too, and he kissed you with a passion you'd never felt before. At that moment you knew exactly what Chuck Hansen meant to you, and knee you'd never let him go.

"Well, my father always said 'if you have the shot, you take it.' So, let's do this. It's been a pleasure, sir."

It had been a year and a half since that awful night. You'd found out two weeks prior that you were pregnant. Chuck was ecstatic. You'd never thought he wanted a family. He thought he'd be a terrible dad. Every bit of that changed when he'd heard the heart beat. His features softened. His eyes nearly glowed. Then, you'd woken up covered in blood. He never blamed you, despite the fact that you blamed yourself. You should have known something was wrong, but these things simply do happen at times.

Chuck never once left your side. He watched you grieve for weeks, holding your hand and hugging you close every moment he could. Chuck was truly a good man, but a great boyfriend, and absolute gentleman.

Chuck was always an asshole to the public. He was arrogant, and displayed this side well. In private he was an entirely different man.

"I never meant it like this, Chuck." Hercules' voice had dropped drastically in enthusiasm.

Chuck hummed for a second.

"River?" He questioned knowing there was no way he was on a mission without you standing in the control room monitoring everything.

"Yeah?" A few workers scurried out of your way. Now that you were closer to the microphones, Chuck shouldn't have a problem hearing you.

"Take care of dad for me, alright? He's an old man who needs someone to make sure he eats, and takes his meds. Don't let him get lonely. And make sure Max stays fat and happy. I couldn't stand seeing him shed a pound."

You thought you'd been crying before. This was horrific. He was saying his goodbyes, and you were trying so hard not to let it get to you in front of everyone.

"And what about me?" Your voice squeaked, earning a chuckle from both Hercules and Chuck.

"Don't do anything stupid, like let yourself fall apart. Promise me you won't, because I love you, and will haunt your ass if you do. And I won't be a nice ghost. I'll knock shit off of tables, and feed Max everything that makes him gassy before you come home for the night. You'll hate me, I swear you will."

"I-i promise, Chuck." You were losing it already. Each word he said magnified the pit forming in your gut.

"Promise me one more thing," you heard something crashing over the coms, "Don't get stuck on this, on me. Go on with your life. You're the smartest person I know, so go kick ass. Get married, and have a ton of kids. Travel through Europe to see the castles and battlefields. Make your life worth living, and when something upsets you to the point of tears, let it be. River Elise, don't you dare let yourself get stuck in the past, but never forget that I love you." His voice was cracking. The mics were malfunctioning.

"I-" The line went dead silent. No sounds came through. All of Striker's stats went down. "- love you too." Your words fell on deaf ears as the control room erupted into chaos. This was a golden opportunity for you to escape.

Everyone was running about the room. Hercules was frantically shouting into the microphone, hoping for a miracle. You knew he was gone. Something very deep down inside had cracked, and you hadn't even had the chance to say you loved him.

Hydrangea petals still covered the floor, but no candles were still lit. The single stem your ring had been on still sat on ghe bedside table, already wilting. Blankets were crumpled at the foot of the bed from waking in a hurry earlier, and Max was snoozing away on his pillow. Chuck's favorite hoodie, and old grey one you'd bought him for Christmas a few years back with the Striker Eureka symbol printed across the chest, sat heaped up on the desk. Holes accented the seams. Stray bits of string hung loose from the cuffs. You grabbed the hoodie, slid it on over your clothes, and crawled into bed, hoping some sleep would help the agony your heart was enduring.

\-----

Someone was banging on your dorm room door. Which, unfortunately for them, meant death. You wanted to be alone with Max, and the flowers, and Chuck's now tear-stained hoodie.

The clock read one in the morning, meaning nearly eight hours had passed since Striker blew. Hopefully whoever stood outside knee how little you wanted to open the door, and how you'd rather spend a while longer alternating between crying and sleep.

"River? It's Hercules." That voice got you up moving quickly. "Can I come in?" You opened the door, then returned to the bed where you could curl up. Herc took his normal chair in your dorm beside the bed. "He finally asked, didn't he?" Hercules motioned to the hydrangeas scattered everywhere. You didn't trust your voice a bit, instead you nodded. Your hands were tucked under your knees. "He's had that ring for months. He didn't want to propose until after all this was done and over, but I think he knew he wouldn't make it. Something in him started cracking a few weeks back when they decommissioned Sydney. With us, the Kaidenovsky's, and Wei-Tang triplets the only defense left, he wanted out. He was finally ready to settle down, I think."

You sat up to lean against the headboard. Your knees were tucked close to your chest. Chuck had been looking for a house somewhere inland, either in the US or Australia. He didn't want to be anywhere near the coast when everything was said and done. He wanted as far away from the ocean as possible. He barely wanted a pool in the back yard. You'd recently found a house right outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. It had about thirty acres of farmland. Chuck wanted to finish the barn on the property, and use the land for horses and cattle. You were supposed to fly to Cincinnati in two weeks to close on the house. Now, now you weren't even sure you could look at the house without thinking of all the little things he wanted to do with it.

"What am I supposed to do, Hercules?" Breaking down was becoming easier and easier. Just when you thought the crying was over, a new dose of sobs overtook your body. Hercules moved from his chair to beside you. The man who'd never even hugged his son while you'd known them wrapped his non-injured arm around your shoulders, and squeezed. Herc had never shown you much affection, other than telling you how happy he was that you were around on the blue moon he actually vocalized his thoughts.

"Exactly what he said to do. Try to move on with your life. Try to live, and not focus on the negatives here. River, you're the smartest, and strongest woman I've ever met in my life. You've stood toe to toe with anyone who told you you couldn't do something. I'll never forget when Stacker assigned you to Sydney with me. We hadn't had very many environmental scientists stick around. You, you came into my office, mad as Hell, and ripped my head off for not monitoring the radiation levels right. Chuck had been talking to me about this girl who'd ran him out of his room the day before, then you walked in, and shut him up in about three seconds flat. I knew, somehow, that you'd wind up marrying him. You're the only woman who'd ever gotten him to shut up with a single glare. I couldn't even do that."

That was something you would never forget. You'd ran in his office without even knocking. The radiation levels weren't dangerously high, but they were high enough to threaten the health of any children or elderly on sight. You were so mad it had gotten that far without regulation, or, at least, shielding.

"That's the first time I saw his cheeks that red. He tried to tell me to leave, and I so kindly told him to shut up, sit down, and let the big kids talk about a problem that might influence all of us. He didn't even try to argue." Something you didn't think could happen for a while happened, and you laughed. Not a sad chuckle, but a fully resounding laugh that echoed off the metal walls.

"It's quiet without him constantly jabbering about the newest thing he wanted to change on Striker. He knew that jaeger better than the techs did. He knew her inside and out, and was always looking for ways to make her run better, or faster, or stronger, or whatever he thought he could do. The only thing he loved more than Striker was you." Hercules had let go of your shoulders, and was instead watching how your tears were slowly letting up. He patted your back. 

"Moving on seems damned well impossible. He's not in here, asking about my day, or thinking about what's for dinner." You were beginning to realize how much Chuck had meant to you. His absence was unbearable. "We were planning on buying a house in Ohio, and using it as a horse farm. I know you have nothing to go home to in Sydney, and Chuck did ask me to take care of you. There's a small house on the backside of the property, in the field. Chuck was planning on you living there, if you wanted. The offer still stands. We were going to close on the house in a couple weeks. If you want to, you can come with me."

For the first time since you'd known him, Hercules Hansen shed a tear. It wasn't for his son. It wasn't for the loss of everything in his life so far. Instead, it was for the kindness you offered. Even if Chuck hadn't asked you to take care of him, you would have anyway. Your family had died in the first attacks years ago. Chuck and Hercules had become your family. For the first time, you watched as the man you'd come to love as a father cried.

"I'd love that, River."

\----- Five Years Later -----

Wearing a dress in front of people had never really been your strong suit. The last time you'd worn one was when you'd accepted the medal of honor on Chuck's behalf. That had been right over four years ago. The dress you'd worn then was moderately comfortable, but, then again, nothing was comfortable when you were nearly nine months pregnant. Rumors flew after the cameras had a good look at you that night. Half the media thought you'd found a boyfriend quickly after Chuck's death, while the other half thought you and Hercules were together. The truth of the matter was Chuck had left one last surprise for you. Her name was Charlie, and she had his red hair and green eyes, but had inherited your attitude and his arrogance. Your daughter was four years old now, and was most definitely a Hansen to her very core.

Hercules was an amazing grand-father. He took her on trips to zoos, amusement parks, even to the movies when she wanted to see a cartoon that frankly made zero sense to you or him. You thought he was catching up for lost time with his own son. When his wife died in the first kaiju attack on Sydney, he'd immediately enlisted in the Pan-Pacific Defense Corp, and raised Chuck on a military base. Hercules had never come out and said it, but you firmly believed he wanted Charlie to do things Chuck had never had the chance to do.

Then there was Raleigh Becket. For a brief while after leaving Hong Kong, he'd been on a press tour, talking about what went down with Pitfall. He told the same story over and over, with Mako Mori sitting beside him. Every news agency pestered you for interviews, but your answer was always no. You could talk to Hercules, or Raleigh, or even Mako about what had happened, but you couldn't do it on television. You didn't trust yourself enough not to cry. Chuck had died doing what he loved. He died to protect you, and his father, and everyone else on this planet. Raleigh always made sure to stress the sacrifice Chuck and Pentecost had made. To you, he sounded like a broken record for a while before he quit doing the interviews.

After Charlie was born, you started seeing more and more of Raleigh. He knew Hercules would help you, but he couldn't handle the idea of you being a single mother. Raleigh moved in with you, only to help with the farm and stay occupied while he readjusted to the world. The original four months you'd agreed to somehow became a year. Then only being there to help became something more than friendship. Somehow, by the time four years had passed, you found yourself in a simple, white dress, adding the finishing touches to your makeup while Hercules kept Charlie preoccupied in the next room. Mako helped you pin in the veil in your hair so you didn't accidentally pull loose one of the curls she'd worked so hard on creating. She was jabbering excitedly about the robotics she'd been working on for the company she worked for. You tried to keep up but was too nervous to pay attention.

"All done!" Mako exclaimed with a little bounce. She handed you a mirror. Mako had outdone herself. Between your hair and makeup you found yourself barely recognizable. A lot had changed over the years. Your body had filled out from being pregnant with Charlie. Your hair had started graying in spots, but you refused to dye it. If you were going to show signs of aging, then let it be.

A knock sounded softly on the door followed by one that was a little more assertive.

"Momma, hurry up. Grandpa says it's time for you to get out of there!" Charlie shouted through the door, earning a laugh from not only you, but Mako too. You didn't have a doubt that Hercules was laughing behind the door as well.

You stood up, opened the door, and took Hercules hand so he could walk you down the aisle. If he noticed the silver band hanging from the necklace you wore, he didn't say a word. You had a promise to keep to Chuck, but you fully intended on keeping it, but with a piece of him with you.

"You look beautiful." Hercules stammered when he got a good look at you. "He would have loved this, seeing you happy again." You hugged him, taking care not to smudge the makeup Mako had worked so hard on. "Let's get moving. I wouldn't want Raleigh thinking you'd run off on him."

He helped you walk up the stairs in your heels. The church piano started playing, giving you the cue to walk down the aisle. Raleigh was smiling, and for the first time in five years you felt truly happy.


End file.
